A poor decision by the Association of National Olympic Committee

Twenty-nine-year-old Jamaican Elaine Thompson-Herah won three gold medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, including two individual gold medals and one relay gold medal. In so doing, she set an Olympic Record of 10.61 in the 100m to erase Florence Griffith-Joyner's thirty-three-year-old Olympic Record of 10.62.

McNeil rewarded

Thompson-Herah also ran an amazing 21.53 in the 200m, the second fastest time posted in the history of female sprinting, and yet the Association of National Olympic Committee (ANOC) has seen it fit to bypass her and to name the Canadian Swimmer, Maggie McNeil, the Best Female Performer at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.  The Canadian won three medals: one gold, one silver and one bronze.  That is a vastly inferior combo compared with the three gold medals won by Elaine Thompson-Herah

Favoritism personified

It is reasonable to conclude that the ANOC has gotten it radically wrong and has damaged its own reputation irreparably in its display of favoritism, if not covert racism. The comparison is chalk to cheese, literally comparing excellence with above average performances.  Based on this irrational decision, one is now left to wonder whether there are subjective non-sports related factors that are being used to deny the phenomenal performer Elaine Thompson-Herah.  Observers are now left to wonder if there are unknown hands that are operating behind the scenes to deny the outstanding Jamaican, Elaine Thompson-Herah, what is rightfully and justly hers.

NACAC objection

Indeed, The North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (“NACAC”) is furious and disappointed in the poor and surprising choice of the Association of National Olympic Committee and has registered its protestations to what it considered a blatantly bad decision.

Objectively, there is no basis to have awarded Maggie McNeil the Best Female Performer award at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games when Elaine Thompson-Herah was clearly the best Olympic performer, male or female.  There is no transparency or objectivity in the ANOC’s decision.  Consequently, that decision ought to be rescinded in keeping with the fine traditions of the Association of National Olympic Committee.

Henley Taylor

Freelance Sports Writer

Henleytaylor1965@gmail.com

Elaine Thompson picture courtesy of her facebook page